Category: Challenging Students

Yesterday, I met a former student … and the memories came flooding back. cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by The Wandering Angel Three years ago, I was a student teacher on my final teaching placement. I was teaching a troubled, angry, and violent 8 year-old student … whom my cooperating teacher […]

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As a new teacher, it is so easy to get all-consumed with the teaching. Yet, it is important to remember that we are teaching students … we are teaching children. cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Pink Sherbet Photography Some of my students, my “little characters”, are not easy to teach. Some make me […]

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As a relief teacher, I’ve come across many tough and extremely challenging classes, taught by graduate and experienced teachers alike. Walking into, and taking control of the ‘hard class’ is one of the greatest challenges of my job, and I have learnt that there is no “one size fits all” approach. These classes are hard […]

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Anger is a confronting emotion for classroom teachers and students alike. Early intervention, a sensitive response, and teaching of anger-management strategies are critical to successful interventions. When a student gets angry, they can become aggressive or violent, and sometimes flee the situation. Each individual’s anger-response is different, and it is imperative that teachers know the […]

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The classroom teacher’s attitude, demonstrated through their words, actions, body language and management approach, is the most significant factor in successfully working with challenging students. My father taught me that “when dealing with people’s problems, you need to lift the bandaid to understand why they behave as they do”. I believe teachers can play an […]

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I’ve already explored the ‘3 R’s of an Effective Learning Environment” in a series of earlier posts; however, I have a few further points which specifically relate to the effective management of challenging students. In particular, it is extremely important to consider how the rest of your class reacts to your challenging student’s antics. To […]

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To build positive relationships with your challenging students, teachers need to demonstrate an active interest in their lives, really listening to their thoughts, opinions, interests and silences. You may only spend a few minutes talking to a student, but actively listening to them for those few minutes helps to build trust and mutual respect. The […]

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Starting out as a relief teacher in early 2009, I was surprised to receive a student’s invitation to visit the morning Breakfast Club. What I found even more surprising was that this particular student was a member of the infamous “Room 15”, a troubled Year 6/7 class about which I had heard no end of […]

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Becoming an Effective Relief Teacher In my first year of teaching, I have learnt that effective relief teachers: Work to develop positive relationships with students and staff Demonstrate sound classroom management skills, and Have a repertoire of instructional strategies and relief fill-in activities In my experience, the development of strong relationships has underpinned my survival […]

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As a relief teacher, I am often seen wandering aimlessly around school playgrounds and ovals; playing games (football, hand-tennis, soccer), fostering good-natured AFL (Australian Rules Football) rivalries, and simply chatting with students. Many teachers are surprised to find that I do this in my own time (i.e. not on duty), yet it has proved to […]